Anti-Cimex Records ad (MRR #13)

Here is one of several ads for Anti-Cimex Records, run by Mats Bodenmalm, that appeared in fanzines circa 1984. This one was printed in the April/May 1984 issue of Maximum Rocknroll, the "Does Punk Suck?" issue. (You can read more about this label/distribution here and here, in previous posts.) The ad predates the planned release of the third Cimex EP, in March 1984, even though it was printed in the issue dated April/May. Most interestingly, the planned title of the third EP was "Set Me Free," as you can see below. "Victims of a Bombraid," the first track on the second side, rather than the second ("Set Me Free") is a much more memorable title for the EP. I believe one explanation of the enduring legacy of this band is the vicious and bleak aura of the titles of their three 80s EPs (Anarkist Attack, Raped Ass, and Victims of a Bombraid). They have become iconic, and in the pre-internet era, I know many of my punk friends knew these titles long before we heard the actual records. Along with Shitlickers' "Cracked Cop Skulls," these records certainly lived up to the promise of their titles.

Beyond the fantasy of time travel this ad induces, perhaps the other most interesting tidbit in this ad is the fact that the Massmedia "Das Jazz" EP was for sale, indicating that this band bridged the 70s punk and 80s hardcore divide (in case you didn't already know that). Use this ad as a checklist to see how "museum-quality" your collection is. Me, I'm still in the bush league at 17/21. Maybe someday I'll compile every mention of Anti-Cimex in Maximum Rocknroll in the 1980s into one big post. Until then, here's one tiny piece of the puzzle. Thanks to Chris Markham.